The present invention relates to dispensing apparatuses, and to subcombinations of such dispensing apparatuses, that are useful in the dispensing of cylindrical or frusto-conical articles, and particularly for the dispensing of disposable cups that are arranged in a nested and stacked orientation in the dispensing apparatus. The apparatuses of present invention provide for superior reliability and performance, and superior ease of operation and maintenance, for dispensing stacked beverage cups and the like.
Various designs and principles of food service dispensers, particularly for dispensing beverage cups and the like, are known in the art. With regard to a beverage cup dispenser (which for purposes of this application includes dispensers for bowls and other stackable, generally round and deformable food containers), the most common dispenser types each have their respective advantages and disadvantages. For most or all cup dispenser designs in the art field, the part(s) that retain the stack of cups in the dispenser, and from which a single cup is removed by a user in need thereof, is/are installed, repaired, maintained, and changed out from via the front face of the dispenser apparatus. When certain components of such systems wear out or fail, or otherwise break, or are tampered with, this can result in improper operation of the cup dispenser. In some situations this is readily apparent to a passing customer in a store in which the cup dispenser is placed. As described herein, the present invention differs from such front-access designs by employing a subcombination front assembly that comprises a side-access cup-dispensing insert. At a minimum, the present invention provides for easier change-out of worn or broken components that some cup dispensers now in the marketplace.
Despite their differences, the various designs of cup dispensers attempt to satisfy the following standard operational criteria:    1. retain a quantity of cups in a stacked orientation;    2. employ a means to retain a “next cup to be dispensed” cup positioned at the end of the stack until a force is applied by a user in need thereof to take that cup;    3. whether by gravity or other means (i.e., a spring), maintain a force on the stack sufficient to move the next cup in the stack in the position of the “next cup to be dispensed” cup after a cup is removed by a user; and    4. provide access means to components of the dispenser for change-out of components that determine cup diameter, size, etc., for cleaning, and for general maintenance.
While not intending to disparage the efforts of other manufacturers, or their products now on the market, the inventors of the present invention have recognized that various designs of various manufacturers do not, in certain situations, reliably and consistently meet all of the above operational criteria.
Specific examples of prior art drinking cup dispensers are found in the following references: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,420,406; 3,435,987; 4,234,101; 4,298,142; 4,658,983; 4,858,783; 4,881,660; 5,012,952; 5,884,803; 6,398,072; and 6,471,092. None of these references, however, teach the use of a front piece for a cup dispenser where that front piece is designed to accommodate a cup-dispensing insert that is assembled into and removed from the front piece via a side access port. This design of cup dispensing creates an exterior front face of the dispenser that is smooth, uninterrupted, with no added external locking rings, decorative or mechanical, needed to enhance function of dispensing cups.
All patents, patent applications and publications discussed or cited herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application was specifically and individually set forth in its entirety.